From being a contestant on a music reality show in 2003 to now being a judge on another, Neeti Mohan has come a long way. The singer, who returned to TV last year as a judge for a kids’ singing reality show, will now be one of the judges on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. Neeti says she is enjoying this phase. “I think I was born for this hustle, and I thrive on it.”

She adds, “From 2003 to 2023, we have only seen singing reality shows becoming popular. So many people got opportunities and platforms because of these shows. They have given people a livelihood, and their dreams could come true because of these reality shows.”

Reality shows are often criticized for being overly dramatized, but Neeti says that as a judge, she is as real as possible with her feedback. “If someone wants to share something, we just listen to them and react, we don’t create drama. Last season, there was this talented singer, Harsh Sikandar; his voice always touched my heart. Whenever he sang, I felt strongly for that boy, and sometimes I cried as well. So we were just being real and reacting to that situation and not creating any drama,” she adds.

Neeti says, "My son Aryaveer is two now. Last year, we introduced him to the concept of his mother being on television, and he was like, ‘Oh mumma!’ He claps each time he would see me on TV; that’s exciting to see. Music is a very important part of our household. As soon as my son wakes up, I play devotional music. We enjoy some rhymes during lunchtime and lullabies at night."

Neeti auditioned for a music, reality show, which launched her musical career with the band Aasma in 2003